Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Boy in a Box Scores British India Support Ahead of Single Release

Boy in a Box is coming out all guns blazing with his debut single “Glitter, Gold, Ruin.” The song is littered with chunky riffs and classic hooks. It’s music the way they used to make it, with a singalong chorus and anthemic overtones.

The track doesn’t drop until March 18 but Boy in a Box is already impressing the right people. He’ll join British India on their March into the Ocean tour, and enjoy a residency with Dangerous at Northcote Social Club.

Here are all the places you can catch this bright young talent over the next couple of months!

8 March 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
15 March 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
22 March 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
24 March 2011 – The Saloon Bar, Traralgon (with British India)
25 March 2011 – The Bended Elbow, Geelong (with British India)
264 March 2011 – Corner Hotel, Richmond (with British India)
29 March 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
30 March 2011 – CSU The Crow Bar, Wagga Wagga (with British India)
31 March 2011 – The Area Hotel, Griffith (with British India)
1 April 2011 – Goulburn Workers Club, Goulburn (with British India)
2 April 2011 – The Maram, Canberra (with British India)
8 April 2011 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide (with British India)
14 April 2011 – The Zoo, Brisbane (with British India)
15 April 2011 – The Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta (with British India)
16 April 2011 – Annandale Hotel, Sydney (with British India)
21 April 2011 – The Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay (with British India)
22 April 2011 – Port Macquarie Panthers, Port Macquarie (with British India)
23 April 2011 – The Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour (with British India)
24 April 2011 – The Great Northern, Byron Bay (with British India)
25 April 2011 – Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra (with British India)
13 May 2011 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (with British India)
14 May 2011 – Hornsby RSL, Hornsby (with British India)
28 May 2011 – Rosemount Hotel, North Perth (with British India)

Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dan Sultan & Archie Roach Play Bilyana

Two of Australia’s leading indigenous performers, Dan Sultan and Archie Roach, will come together for one special show on April 9.

These two talents will play at Bilyana, a natural amphitheatre nestled in Mount Pilot National Park, just outside the small Victorian town of Eldorado. It’s a beautiful spot, where families can come together to appreciate music. So it seems fitting that in Dan and Archie we see two generations coming together to entertain the masses.

Show tickets are available from the Try Booking website for $55 for adults, $38 for children, and $165 for families. This price includes use of a camp site at Bilyana, so it’s a great deal for music lovers looking for a show that’s a bit different.

Image used with permission from AUM

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kylie Minogue Brings Aphrodite Tour to Oz

Kylie Minogue is winging her way back home from a national tour this June. Kylie’s Aphrodite Les Foiles tour will take in the major capitals, starting with Brisbane on June 3.

Expect a grand spectacle when Kylie touches down. The show apparently features multiple sets, a big golden horse, and water features. Then there is the set list, which combines newies from Aphrodite with plenty of old favourites.

Melbourne ex-pats Gypsy & The Cat are the unlikely support act. Pop princess meets indie darlings? Interesting!

Tickets for the following shows go on sale from March 15.

3 June 2011 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
7 & 8 June 2011 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney
14 & 15 June 2011 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
18 June 2011 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
22 June 2011 – Burswood Dome,  Perth

Image source: Georges Biard @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Oh Sleeper’s Micah Kinard

Texan metal gods Oh Sleeper are planning a return visit to our shores as part of the massive No Surrender tour. I recently caught up with the band’s lead vocalist Micah Kinard to chat about his love for Australia, his relationship with touring buddies The Chariot, and Oh Sleeper’s plans for world domination.

You were only just here in September. What made you want to return to Australia so soon?
Have you seen your country? We had an awesome time there. It was so much fun, and everyone we met and worked with down there was a total delight, so we definitely wanted to get back as soon as we could. The first offer that popped up we took, so we’re excited about it.

This tour’s traveling from the west to east of Australia. Are you looking forward to seeing a bit more of the countryside than you did last time?
I am! It was actually pretty surprising, when we went there last time, it was our first time ever and the shows were all great, we had an awesome time at them. But also Taperjean, the company that brought us over, they received a bunch of e-mails from other places that wanted us to come through there also. So that was a nice surprise. I think this time we’re trying to hit all those places that we got e-mails from and, like you said, see more of the countryside which I’m really excited about.

And it’s all happening in the space of just eight days. Does that fast and furious pace suit you, or would you prefer to do things a bit more leisurely?
You kind of just get used to it. We’ve been doing this for the past five, five and a half years and that’s just kind of the pace it’s set at, you know? I’m pretty sure anyone in a touring band, especially internationally, can relate. It’s just a lifestyle you’ve got to get used to. You start to realise that vacations for you are more just staying at your real house, sitting in your back yard in a lawn chair. That’s a vacation; not really getting up and going somewhere.

How do audiences in Australia differ from those back home?
Really they were super welcoming. The States are great. When you have a good show in the States, it’s definitely crazy and off the wall. But the thing that was really nice about going to Australia is that everyone had a genuine appreciation for you being there. Even if they didn’t come to see you, they still gave you the respect of watching and applauding and everything like that. The shows that we had over there, the vast majority of them got pretty crazy. And as far as the fans, they were stage diving and crowd surfing and everything like that. The crowds were good enough to get us thirsty to come back, so we’re excited.

You’re touring Australia with fellow countrymen The Chariot. Now you go way back with these guys and have toured America with them. Are you looking forward to having them on the road with you?
Oh definitely. The Chariot’s one of our favourite bands to tour with. We’ve done a number of tours with them over here in the States. It’s kind of a situation where everyone in the bands clicks with each another, with the respective members of the other bands and everything, we all mesh well and the second we get together it’s always a fun time, so thinking of touring the world with your some of your best friends is always a recipe for a good time.

Continue reading “Q & A with Oh Sleeper’s Micah Kinard” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kate Ceberano and James Morrison Back for More Jazz in the Vines

Tickets are now on sale for the Hunter Valley’s premiere music festival, Jazz in the Vines.

After exceptional performances in 2010, Kate Ceberano and James Morrison are heading back for another serve. They’ll be joined by Lisa Hunt, Weird Assembly, and George Washingmachine, and that’s just for starters. Expect to hear more artist announcements before the festival rolls around on October 29.

Reserve your spot through Ticketmaster, Moshtix, or the Jazz in the Vines website and get ready to soak up the good vibes, good tunes, and a few vinos!

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Discover the Beauty of Owls of the Swamp

Every now and then I hear a musician, and I wonder why on earth I’ve never heard of them before. Melbourne’s Owls of the Swamp, or Pete Uhlenbruch as his mum calls him, is one of those special artists.

He’s just completed his fifth European tour, and he’s preparing to release his second album Go With River. The album includes the gorgeous single “So Far Away,” which has some of the most stunning acoustic guitar and cello work I’ve heard in some time, and exquisite backing vocals from Icelandic songbird Myrra Ros. You can download the track now exclusively through Triple J Unearthed. Do it; you won’t be disappointed.

And if you like what you hear get out and support Owls of the Swamp as he launches “So Far Away” at Melbourne’s Bar 303 on 18 March. The $10 tickets (available at the door) are a bit of a bargain as they include a free limited edition copy of the single, complete with B-side!

Image source: Lauren Bamford/Owls of the Swamp website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Win The Trews Prize Packs Including Concert Tickets & CDs

Canadian rockers The Trews are enjoying an extended holiday in our fair land as they take up residency at pubs and clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. I’m giving two lucky Sounds of Oz readers the chance to catch the band in the flesh, plus a whole lot more.

I have two prize packs to give away which are jampacked with Trews goodness. The winners will each get a double pass to The Trews show of their choice, a copy of the band’s album Friends and Total Strangers, a Trews sticker, and a badge.

Simply leave your details in the comments below, including the show you want to see and your e-mail address so I can tell you if you’ve won (no one else will see it, I promise!). Entries close at 5 pm AEDST on Sunday March 6, and I’ll announce the winners next Monday. Here is the list of remaining shows so you can choose the one which suits you best!

9 March 2011 – Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills
10 March 2011 – Sandringham Hotel, Newtown
11 March 2011 – Old Manly Boatshed, Manly
12 March 2011 – Bridge Hotel, Rozelle
13 March 2011 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla
17 March 2011 – The National, Geelong
18 March 2011 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
19 March 2011 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
20 March 2011 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
23 March 2011 – Annandale Hotel, Annandale

Image used with permission from Revolutions

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Into The Eyes of Those Who Sleep” – The Ovals

Over the last four years Melbourne band The Ovals has built a steady following for their brand of psychedelic rock. That attention is only bound to intensify with the release of the band’s new EP Into The Eyes of Those Who Sleep.

The band is clearly comfortable in this genre; they create the kind of kaleidoscopic atmosphere that takes us back to the mid-60s. They understand about light and shade, they know how to build and song and move us just where they want us.

But I can’t help feeling like I’ve heard it all before, like I’m listening to a band that spent too much time listening to early Pink Floyd records. Perhaps I’m a bit biased as I always found those early Syd Barrett recordings lacking, but I hear the same aimlessness in The Ovals music. It’s almost as if they’re also trying to figure out exactly who they want to be, just like Pink Floyd were all those years ago.

And similarly, I can hear great potential there. In places there’s the magic that comes from four musicians that really know how to play. I can imagine that’s only heightened when the Melbourne act takes to the stage. Into The Eyes of Those Who Sleep is a good stepping stone for a band that could be something special.

The Ovals will launch their new EP at The Cherry Bar before taking it to the other East Coast capitals. You can see them at the following venues.

25 March 2011 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
1 April 2011 – X&Y Bar, Brisbane
8 April 2011 – Oxford Arts Gallery, Sydney

Image used with permission from Show Off Services

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Waifs @ Civic Theatre, Newcastle – 27 February 2011

Western Australian music royalty came together last night for one amazing show at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. This grand old theatre was made for the intimate music of artists like The Waifs and Mama Kin, and the attentive crowd lapped it up.

I put Mama Kin together with The Waifs in my introduction because her set never felt like mere support. I’m used to crowds chattering away as support acts desperately try to capture the attention of someone in the audience, but not last night. All eyes were transfixed on this spirited performer, who so effortlessly fused blues, roots, folk, and soul. The crowd even complained when she announced her last song. She cheekily told the audience they needn’t pretend they were there to see her. A fair call perhaps, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t savouring her every moment on stage. I know I was; hanging onto every lyric, singing and clapping to the beat when she encouraged us to, laughing at the stories that punctuated the songs. Mama Kin definitely made a few new fans last night, and I’m amongst them.

As The Waifs began their set I was again struck by how attentive and receptive this Newcastle crowd was. Just as Mama Kin was supported, so were The Waifs’ new songs. Their set drew heavily from their soon-to-be-released new album Temptation, but the audience didn’t seem to mind one bit. Of course songs like “Lighthouse” and “London Still” received a rapturous reception, but the crowd patiently waited until they came, content to let the new material wash over them.

Of course, all credit can’t be given to the crowd. The Waifs’ new material also stacks up against their familiar hits nicely. The songs tell stories which suck you in, compelling you to listen even if you don’t know the words. Add in the vivacious personalities and exquisite harmonies of sisters Donna and Vikki, and the gorgeous meshing of the band’s instruments, and you’ve got an act that you’d happily hear perform anything they desired.

The Waifs are one of those bands I’d always meant to see but never quite gotten there. After enjoying a night in their company I can see why their fans are so passionate, and why they return for each and every tour. Next time I’m sure I’ll join them.

Image used with permission from Stephen Green Consulting

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Alex Lloyd and the Pigram Brothers Unite for Mad Bastards Soundtrack

Award winning singer-songwriter Alex Lloyd has teamed up with indigenous outfit the Pigram Brothers for the soundtrack to local drama flick, Mad Bastards.

The album has a rootsy feel with nods to country, blues, and even a dash of calypso. It’s so great to see our local artists scoring our films with such exciting, original music. The Mad Bastards soundtrack hits record stores on April 8, ahead of the film’s release on May 5.

The newly formed Mad Bastards Trio will showcase their new tunes around the country in April and May. This is such a rare collaboration and the concerts are in such intimate venues that they’re sure to be something special. Tickets go on sale from the venues on March 10.

25 & 26 April 2011 – Byron Bay Bluesfest, Byron Bay
19 May 2011 – The Zoo, Brisbane
20 & 21 May 2011 – Notes Live, Newtown
25 May 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
26 May 2011 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
27 & 28 May 2011 – Mojos Bar, North Fremantle

Image used with permission from AUM PR